Upper GI/Small Bowel Series

What to expect from these X-ray tests

An upper GI series is an X-ray study that lets us see the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. When we perform a small bowel series in addition to an upper GI series, we can see the entire small intestine.

Depending on whether you have just an upper GI series or both an upper GI and small bowel series, you will drink one or more types of barium solutions that outline the anatomy of the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. You may also swallow a barium pill and/or a highly carbonated drink to introduce air into the stomach.

How Do I Prepare for the Exam?

You should have nothing to eat or drink after midnight the night before your exam. At the hospital, we will ask you to remove your shirt and pants and put on a hospital gown.

What Will Happen During the Exam?

A radiographer will escort you into the radiology suite and may take preliminary X-rays of your abdomen. A staff member will question you about your medical history and the reason for your exam.

At the beginning of the exam, the X-ray table will be in a vertical position, and we will ask you to stand against it. The radiologist will then direct you to drink the barium solution while he or she watches the X-ray monitor. We will take a number of “spot” images of your esophagus at this time.

We will then move the X-ray table into a horizontal position with you lying on it. The radiologist will ask you to move into various positions as he or she takes additional spot images of your stomach. The radiographer will help you with your movements. We may ask you to drink additional barium while lying on your stomach in a semi-oblique (diagonal) position. Once we’ve taken images of your stomach and the first part of your small intestine, the upper GI exam is complete.

If you are booked for a small bowel series in addition to the upper GI, we will give you additional barium to drink. We will take additional pictures until the barium has traveled the entire distance of the small intestine. Once the barium has reached the large intestine, we will take additional X-ray images, and then the exam is complete.

How Long Will the Procedure Take?

An upper GI series takes approximately 15 to 30 minutes to complete. If a small bowel series accompanies an upper GI, it should be noted that every patient’s barium transit time is different. The small bowel series can take several hours to complete if the barium does not transit quickly. Typical transit times take from one to three hours, and you should plan accordingly.